Hump Day Hash: New Wednesday music series in Bend
On Wednesday night, the Century Center complex on Southwest Century Drive in Bend will kick off a series of concerts by local artists that runs through August.
The series is called The Hump Day Hash, and will feature local music each Wednesday, along with food, drinks, and a spotlight on a local nonprofit organization. Each week, a different nonprofit will have an opportunity to let folks know about their work and to benefit from a portion of vendor sales and voluntary donations.
The Hump Day Hash kicks off this week with music by Mosley Wotta and Kylan Johnson, and the nonprofit beneficiary is PoetHouse Art. Food will be provided by El Sancho, Soupçon and Spork, with libations by Plum and Volcano Vineyards.
The show will start at 6 p.m., and it's free, family friendly and open to the public.
Century Center is the name of the group of buildings behind the old Brightwood Mill at Century Drive and Commerce Avenue that is being renovated by owner Dave Hill.
In late September, Century Center will be the new home of the Bend Roots Revival, a popular festival of local arts that was held at Parrilla Grill and Victorian Cafe until it outgrew that space last year.
Hill has almost filled Century Center with tenants, and those tenants are putting up the money to pay bands for The Hump Day Hash, said Mark Ransom, founder of Bend Roots and one of the organizers of the series.
On Monday, Ransom said Hill offered Century Center to Bend Roots at no cost when he heard the festival needed a new home. Since then, he's leased much of his complex, but is setting aside a large space in Century Center for events and performing arts, complete with a stage, sound system and lighting, Ransom said.
“Along with that decision came this idea to do a weekly music series,” Ransom said. “He contacted me, and I introduced Dave to Erica Reilly (co-owner of Spork and Plum) ... and Erica's really connected with the music community, so I said, ‘Let's get together, the three of us.'”
Ransom, Hill and Reilly decided that Bend is already “super-saturated” with music events, Ransom said, and that if a weekly series were to happen, “it needs to be about more than the music.” So they incorporated local food and drink, signed up local nonprofits to showcase, and decided to do the series on Wednesdays to minimize conflict with other events.
“Someone suggested the hump day, and that Wednesday might be a nice night,” Ransom said. “We'll keep it generally more mellow and acoustic, though there are a couple of more rockin' bands.”
The Hump Day Hash will happen outside in Century Center's courtyard, he said. Besides a good time and a spotlight for nonprofits, organizers hope the series spreads the word about the complex's potential for events, and the fact that it's the new home of the Bend Roots Revival.
“I think because Dave's gotten more interested in performing arts ... year-round, he wants people to know what a great venue it is, and that it's an option for promoters in town. He's got indoor spaces and outdoor spaces,” Ransom said. “That, obviously, directly benefits the tenants who are in there, so he's trying to do something to bring awareness to the project, but also how it can be beneficial to the performing-arts community in Bend.”
Upcoming Hump Day Hash dates
(performer/ nonprofit beneficiary)
July 21: Tim Coffey/Habitat for Humanity
July 28:— Blowin' Smoke/Deschutes Land Trust
Aug. 4: Mark Ransom and The Mostest/KPOV, 106.7 FM
Aug. 11: Leif James/Village Works
Aug. 18: The Autonomics/Rise Up
Aug. 25: Shireen Amini/Human Dignity Coalition
Ben Salmon can be reached at 541-383-0377 or bsalmon@bendbulletin.com.
